200 



J. Starhie Gardner — Mesozoic Angiosperms. 



by Lindley and Hutton as Strobilites Buchlandi, in their Fossil 

 Flora, vol. ii. pi. 129, published in 1833-35, from a drawing by 

 Miss E. Benett, made for Dr. Buckland, without the least clue as 

 to age or locality in the descriptive letterpress. In Miss Benett's 

 " Catalogue of the Organic Bemains of Wiltshire," published in 1831, 

 the only fossil referred to, which could possibly be the Strobilites in 

 question, is a Cycadeoidea ? from the Portland Beds, under the head- 

 ing " Woods," p. 9. In the first edition of Morris's Catalogue, 1843, 

 it is put down as from " Gr. S. Wilts," which cannot mean either 

 Lower or Upper Greensand, the abbreviations for which are " L. G. 

 S.," and " U. G. S." but which looks like a misprint for " Gr. 0.," the 

 sign for Great Oolite. In the second edition Morris, 1854, it 

 appears as from " U. G. S. Wiltshire." The question is whether in 

 correcting the printer's error of the first edition, due care to ascertain 

 the facts de novo was used. The circumstances are such as to leave 

 the age of the fossil in considerable doubt. 



Part of a similar fruit is also described by Heer from the Cre- 

 taceous of Patoot in Greenland. 



A not dissimilar but still smaller fruit has been found in the Coral- 

 line Oolite and the Kimmeridge Clay in France. These, named 

 Goniolina. are small ovoid, aggregated fruits, like those of Pandanus, 

 borne on a naked, cylindrical and relatively slender petiole. The 

 heads of the very numerous fruits are arranged in spirals and regular, 

 closely pressed together and barely a millimetre across. They are 

 of hexagonal shape, and six keels extend from the angles and meet 

 in a raised point in the centre. The interior axis is cylindrical, and 

 impressed with scars made by the bases of the fruits, completing its 

 likeness to Pandanus. 



Goniolina. Fruiting organ. 



From the Jurassic, in the Paris Museum, 

 and Marion. 



After Saporta 



The Aroides Stutterdi, from the Great Oolite, 1 must, it appears on 

 the other hand, be expunged from the list of fossil plants, for Dr. 

 Woodward has well-nigh conclusive evidence proving that this 

 calcareous organism is part of an Echinoderm, Apiocrinus (Milleri- 

 crinus) Prattii. Poteriocrinus and Platycrinus are furnished with 



1 See paper hy W. Carruthers, F.K.S., Geol. Mag. 1867, Vol. IV. 



